[Tutor] What is a "state variable"?

[Richard D. Moores]

On Fri, Nov 12, 2010 at 01:27, Alan Gauld <alan.gauld at btinternet.com> wrote:
>
> "Richard D. Moores" <rdmoores at gmail.com> wrote
>
>> Is k then a state variable in that its state is 23? What sorts of
>> variables are, and are not, state variables?
>>
>> The concept of a state variable seems central to Kent's article. If
>> only I knew exactly what it was.
>
> First, do you understand what ste is in mathematical/computing terms?
> That is critical to understanding what state variables are?
>
> For example if I say that the state of any object can be represented
> by a vector whose values correspond to the collected set of variables
> of the object, does that make sense?

No. Not the vector idea. Sorry.

> If not, we need to go back to consider what state is and why
> it is important in computing.